There are basically two things you need to focus on.

1. Always working towards Doc Ock. Nothing else really matters, except point 2.

2. Before starting Doc Ock, start a mode.

When you are in Doc Ock bash the crap out of Green Goblin and Sandman, again, not really concerned about Jackpots and points. When you are out of multiball, start Doc Ock again. Over time, you'll complete the other villains by just shooting stuff normally.

Learning to backhand the shot from the right flipper really, really helps.

Depending on your game's speed and how high the flippers travel, you can shimmy the game when the ball comes off the right ramp and lands on the playfield. This causes the ball to bounce left to right between the slingshot and the lane guide and slows it down, which allows it to stop at cradle.... which you then backhand. Rinse Repeat.

On my game, in tournament mode (no EB, all hard settings) I got to 4.x billion with normal flippers, no center or outlane posts. I was one green goblin away from reaching super hero again with every shot at was at 6x. Apparently I was close to the scoring limit for the older code.

I now have lightning flippers, outlane posts moved up but no rubber on the lane divider posts.